Ulanism
Ulanism - a religion prevalent on all of Western Thir and parts of Eastern Thir. Ulanism originated from the teachings of the so called Three Augurs and has roots in both Taganic and Western Thirian mythologies and folklore. Ulanism was spread mainly by the Gannaid Empire and soon became the dominant faith of Western Thir. Etymology The name "Ulanism" comes from the Tagani name for the Absolute, "Amijud Ulanaj", which literally means "the ultimate being". Practitioners of the religion are called "ulanists" or "ulans", with the names sometimes being used as synonyms for "Djinni". Beliefs World's creation Ulanist doctrine divides the primordial universe into three elements: Matter, Form and Substance. All three were infinite, uniform and co-dependent and as such, they existed in harmony. This state, called "Tarat", was eventually disrupted by a vague mistake of the Substance - Matter divided into various particles that were then given multiple Forms, creating the World, Tarat's opposite and anti-thesis. Substance itself was shattered into an abundant amount of independent counsciousnesses that then became godlings, animals and eventually humans. Absolute Ulan doctrine preaches the existence of the Absolute, or "Amijud Ulanaj". It's oftentimes simplified to the term of "the universe", however that isn't quite correct, as the two are not synonimous; the universe is made of matter and has form, but the Absolute gives it substance. By being Cosmos' ousia, or godhead, the Absolute is a sentient "sum of all being" that creates the laws of the world, using itself as the stantard. Because of that, the Absolute is also the source of all morality that mortal beings have to pertain to. According to Ulanist tradition, the Absolute was the original being that occupied the universe. It's shattering, caused by an unknown force, formed sentient thoughts that soon took on material form, eventually evolving into humans and animals. As such, Ulanists strive to rejoin the Absolute by following certain rules and guidelines that are supposed to make their followers more alike the divine, with the goal of eventually becoming the divine. The Absolute isn't a god in the typical sense, but it does share many similarities with such gods - it's sentient, it serves as the universe's foundation and it is prayed to. Taqmus The Taqmus, also called the "Individuality Spirit" or "The Spirit of History", is a personification of the Absolute, meant to carry out the it's will by reincarnating as great leaders of history who then push humanity in the direction that is planned for it by Amijud Ulanaj. While many people themselves are called "Taqmuses", such usage of that term is actually a logical fallacy as the Taqmus is separate from the body it inhabits. The Taqmus is a spirit that tacks on to a certain soul and influences it so that it acts accordingly to the Absolute's plan. The process of proclaiming a Taqmus is unclear; Ulan priests are usually called by parents whenever various physical signs manifest on a newborn, but whether a person truly is a Taqmus can only confirmed by history itself. Cosmology Ulan cosmology divides the primordial universe into three elements: Matter, Form and Substance. Matter serves as the building material that is given shape by the Form. The Substance is the "plasticity of Matter and Form", the essence that gives Matter sentience over it's Form. In that way, Substance can be viewed as a synonym for life. Branches of Ulanism * Eudaism - the biggest and most popular branch, Eudaism preaches an eschatological return to the so-called Second Tarat * Faudaism - a movement anti-thetical to Eudaism, Faudaism claims that a return of the Tarat is impossible and that only the mortal life is worth cherishing